


(let me be the first to say) i will love you anyway

by As_High_As_Honour



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV), Gotham - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Capes, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Ordinairy People, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Jeremiah Valeska, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Love, M/M, Mentions of childhood abuse, Past Abuse of a Child, Rich CEO Falls In Love With Single Parent AU, With A Twist, but have it anyway, first off, no I have no idea what this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28955142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/As_High_As_Honour/pseuds/As_High_As_Honour
Summary: Vibrant red hair that was just the right side of floppy, pale smooth skin that seemed ethereal in the glow of the lights, dazzling green eyes that Bruce could easily get lost in, and a smile that promised mischief and excitement.Bruce was pretty sure he was meeting an angel right now.~~~Or, Bruce falls in love with Jerome, the bartender he met on a night out and the guy who's single handedly raising his little brother Jeremiah.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Bridget Pike & Bruce Wayne, Ivy Pepper & Bruce Wayne, Jeremiah Valeska & Jerome Valeska, Jeremiah Valeska & Jerome Valeska & Bruce Wayne, Jerome Valeska & Bruce Wayne, Jerome Valeska/Bruce Wayne, Jonathan Crane & Jerome Valeska, Selina Kyle & Bruce Wayne, Silver St. Cloud & Jerome Valeska
Comments: 55
Kudos: 39





	1. i need your touch, i have no doubt (i want your love until it all runs out)

Bruce did not want to be here. 

Well, that wasn't strictly true. He wanted to be here because it was Selina's birthday party; something big to celebrate her 21st. And he was here because he was one of her best friends. 

But he did not want to be here as in _here_ , in the Sirens nightclub, as dozens of people danced and pressed their bodies on each other as the alcohol they kept putting back further lowered their inhibitions. 

He sighed and with a quick glance at the girls to make sure they were okay (Bridget and Selina were trying to waltz to 'Crying in the Club' while Ivy laughed and recorded them), he navigated his way through the dance floor and to the bar. 

Bruce grunted as he sat down on one of the stools and tried to get one of the bartender's attention. The place was busy but it was a Wednesday night, so it wasn't as completely packed as it would've been on Fridays or Saturdays. Still, getting the attention of the woman who served him before was proving to be difficult and Bruce wondered if he should just head back to the girls. 

Nightclubs just weren't really his scene. He preferred staying at home and working or reading a book to being out at night with a bunch of strangers grinding on each other and pressing up against him with the smell of alcohol filling the air. Not to mention this brought back mostly unpleasant memories of his life just a few years ago, where'd he been at a party every night and waking up with a new guy or girl in his bed everyday. 

He frowned as he remembered that. That time of his life had been the product of stress and residual grief from his parents' deaths that he hadn't (and probably never would) got over. Bruce had been a dick and it was only when Alfred (loyal, faithful Alfred) had threatened to leave that he realised he was pushing all of his real friends away. He knew then and there he needed to get his act together. 

So he had. He stopped the drinking, got rid of the playboy persona and started taking his role as CEO seriously. He was fairly young for such a position, something that the Board at Wayne Enterprises had been all too keen to point out, but he was already changing things in Gotham, and he'd only had the job for a couple of months (officially at least; in reality, he had the job since he was twelve and had been doing it since he was sixteen). He had so many plans for Gotham, not least of which was a new initiative to get children off the streets and back into school, something he'd be working on right now if he wasn't here. He blamed this entirely on the girls.

Selina, Bridget and Ivy. His only three friends in the world. Well, the only genuine ones apart from Alfred, Lucius and Detective Gordon, and the only ones his own age. And sure, that might sound a little sad, but Bruce had never been one for big crowds and he'd rather have a few real friends than a dozen fake ones. 

He'd met Selina some time after his parents' deaths and they had become fast friends, with him having met Bridget and Ivy along the way. Now, they were all inseparable, and all three of them had dragged him out because he was "too work-oriented and needed to take a break before his body completely gave up on him". 

And of course, he wanted to be at his best friend's birthday party, he just... Really wished it wasn't in a night club. 

Bruce bit back a groan as his fifth attempt to get the bartender's attention was unknowingly ignored and was just about to call it quits when a silky smooth voice called out to him on his left. 

"Anything I can help you with?" 

He turned to the voice, fully intending on ordering the girls some more drinks and himself a bottle of water before the words died in his mouth as he caught sight of the person who spoke.

There was no other way to put it; he was gorgeous.

Vibrant red hair that was just the right side of floppy, pale smooth skin that seemed ethereal in the glow of the lights, dazzling green eyes that Bruce could easily get lost in, and a smile that promised mischief and excitement. 

Bruce was pretty sure he was meeting an angel right now. 

The angel looked at him for a few beats before his lips ticked downwards and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. He looked concerned.

"You okay there buddy?" 

It was at this moment that Bruce realised he was just staring at him like a moron.

He snapped himself out of it and forced words to come out of his mouth as he tried to find an excuse that wouldn't make him look like a loser and/or a creep. 

"Yeah, I just," he cleared his throat, cursing how dry his mouth had become. "Just tired, I guess." 

The angel nodded, his previous smile flirting back onto his lips. Bruce never wanted it to leave his face again. "Not your scene?" 

He laughed. "No, uh, not exactly." He ordered his drinks then, watching the angel as he set about making them. He placed the bottle of water on the countertop last.

"Friends drag you here?" And normally Bruce despised small talk, but right now, he'd never been more grateful for an excuse to talk to someone. 

"Yeah, it's uh- my friend, Selina, it's her 21st, and she and Ivy and Bridget dragged me out here." He tried to play it off as cool and suave and was 90% sure he failed miserably. 

The angel's eyebrows lifted curiously. "Three girls in one night? Aren't we quite the playboy?" 

Bruce laughed at the insinuation. Well, not so much an insinuation as it was a blatant comment. And a fairly accurate one at that, at least up until two years ago. "Uh, pretty sure they'd kill me if I tried anything like that," he said, only partly joking. "They're kind of crazy." 

"Ah, the best types of friends," the angel said knowingly. They smiled at each other and then the angel held his hand out. "I'm Jerome." 

_Jerome_. He didn't know why, but he thought the name suited him even better than 'angel' did. There was just something so right about it. 

Bruce took his hand and immediately mourned the moment he had to let go. "Bruce." 

The angel - Jerome - took his hand back and set about wiping down the countertop, which actually did look rather sticky. 

"So, Bruce," Jerome said and Bruce had never loved hearing his own name as much as he did in that moment. There was something about the way Jerome said it, friendly and flirtatious, with just a hint of danger to it. "If you weren't here, what would you be doing right now?" 

He barely had to think about. "Working," he answered honestly. "Or reading a book." 

"All work and no play, are we?" Jerome smirked. 

"According to my friends, yes," Bruce said, smiling in return. "What about you?" He asked, filled with a sudden desire to know as much about Jerome as he could. 

"Probably watching a horror movie," he replied. "Or binge-watching Game of Thrones again." He smiled. "Books are more my brother's thing than mine." 

He looked about ready to say something else before a patron to the left called out for a drink and Jerome smiled apologetically at him before getting their order.

Bruce tried to come up with an excuse to talk to him again, mind racing through a million scenarios, each more ridiculous than the last. He was so wrapped up in this that he almost missed it when Jerome came back, forearms leaning against the bar.

"Sorry about that," he said. Bruce jumped at the opportunity to talk to him. 

"So, what's your favourite horror movie?" He knew he was being too eager but found it hard to care all that much. 

Jerome flashed that brilliant smile of his again. "You ever watch Scream?" And Bruce mentally thanked Ivy for making him watch those movies. 

They talked for what seemed like hours. Bruce loved every second of it. Jerome was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. He was charismatic and confident, daring and weird and so, so _funny_. Bruce hadn't laughed so much in a long time. Jerome would occasionally have to go serve a customer and Bruce would wait for him to come back. He didn't mind though. It gave him time to think about what to say next. And it also gave him the perfect opportunity to admire the way Jerome's dark purple shirt clung to his abs and how those black pants of his hugged his legs perfectly. 

It was during one of these times with Jerome mixing a drink and Bruce watching and admiring him that he was rather forcefully reminded he hadn't come to this club alone. 

"Well hey there stranger," was all the warning he'd gotten before Selina perched an arm on his shoulder and smirked at him in a way that spoke trouble. 

His eyes widened. "Selina!" He said, a little louder than intended. He immediately lowered his voice but spoke in a tone that was no less urgent, "I'm so sorry, I- uh, I got a bit distracted." 

She smirked again. "Must've been one hell of a distraction. You know," she leaned in, a playful conspirator, and Bruce knew he was forgiven, "If you weren't such a decent guy, I'd have thought you left us." 

"You know I'd never do that," he said. He knew the girls were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves but he still worried about them a lot. Gotham was not a safe place to be in, like, at all. 

"I know," she said, smiling softly. She caught sight of her drink. "Ah! I was wondering when you'd get me this." She picked it up and downed it in one go. "Ooh, that was good. My compliments to the bartender. Now," she turned to him. "Me and Bridget were thinking we'd stay for a couple more songs before heading to the Iceberg Lounge. They have this new strawberry peppermint cocktail that Ive and Bridget are _dying_ to try, and I'm pretty intrigued by it. You in?" 

Bruce frowned, panic setting in. He really didn't want to leave Jerome. "Well, I-" 

Selina cut him off. "Come on, it's my birthday!" She titled in her head to the side. "What have you been doing all night, anyway? I've barely seen you." 

Bruce felt like a deer caught in headlights and Selina was the driver who'd just narrowly avoided running him over with her car. 

Jerome's voice cut into their conversation. "I believe that's my fault." They turned to see he had come back, looking as angelically beautiful as he had all night. He held his hand out to Selina. "Jerome." 

She took it, a curious look in her eyes. "Selina." 

"So I heard," he winked at Bruce. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "Happy birthday, by the way." 

"Thanks." Selina was glancing between the two of them. He could see the gears turning in her head and knew he was never going to live this down. 

"So," she started, her mischievous smile confirming what Bruce thought, "You're the one who's been hogging Bruce's attention all night." 

Jerome smirked. "Guilty as charged. What can I say? Your friend's a good conversationalist." 

Selina's eyes widened comically large as she gasped exaggeratedly and _yep_ , there was no way Bruce was living this down. 

"You got him to speak? More than a few words at a time? What kind of dark sorcery are you peddling with?" Her grin was shit-eating. 

Jerome laughed and even though Bruce had been hearing him laugh all night, he was thankful for the opportunity to hear it again. "Nothing I can take credit for. People like talking to bartenders. Part of the trope, you know. Everyone's always dying to spill their secrets to me." 

Selina smirked back at him. Bruce wanted to die from embarrassment. "I see. Well, I have to get back to those two, but it was nice meeting you Jerome." She nodded as she picked up Bridget's and Ivy's drinks and Jerome smiled in return. The two of them watched her cut her way through the crowd. 

They were quiet for a few moments before Jerome broke the silence. 

"You guys heading away then?" He was sure he wasn't imagining the disappointment in Jerome's eyes. 

"Yeah, a couple more songs and we're gone." Bruce really didn't want to leave him. He couldn't remember being so at ease with someone so quickly. He wanted to see him again. He wanted to _know_ he was going to see him again. 

At that thought, Bruce felt his resolve harden, and went, _Fuck it_. Life was about risks and this was no different. 

He tried to play it coy. "Might I be so bold as to ask you for your number?" 

Jerome arched an eyebrow, an equally coy smirk playing on his face. "Well, since you asked so nicely," he took a pen out from his shirt pocket.

"Give me your arm," he demanded and Bruce did so without question. He rolled his eyes. "Roll your sleeve up, dummy." 

Bruce did so, cheeks tinged pink. He watched as he wrote his number on his arm in a sparkly red gel pen (and there was something so very Jerome about that, that he couldn't help grinning). Jerome's touch was warm and electric and Bruce knew he would be thinking about it a lot. 

Once Jerome was done, he tucked his pen into his shirt and leaned against the bar again. "You know, you should feel very special right now. I don't give out my number to just anyone." He told him and though Bruce had never been particularly good at flirting with people he actually liked, he knew the perfect response. 

"I do. Feel very special that is," he grinned, "How could I not, when the most gorgeous person in this place spent the entire night talking to me?" 

Jerome seemed momentarily taken back by that, if the pink blush staining his cheeks was anything to go by. Bruce was filled with the sudden desire to make him blush as much as he could. He wanted to see the pink turn to red. He wanted to see the usually cool man turn into a flustered mess because of him. He internally preened at the thought. 

Jerome composed himself. "Quite the flatterer, aren't we?" 

He shrugged, smirking. "Only with people I like." 

Jerome looked contemplative for a moment. "Can I give you some advice?" He asked, smiling strangely. 

"Uh, sure, if you'd like," Bruce replied, mildly confused. 

"Don't be afraid to live your life a little," he said. "I mean you're what, twenty-one?" 

"Twenty," he corrected. 

"Twenty," Jerome amended before continuing, "And you're at your friend's birthday party and you barely spent any time dancing or drinking or doing the shit people do at birthday parties. Like," he hastened to add at Bruce's look, "Don't get me wrong, if that just isn't your thing, then fair enough, but don't be so obsessed with work all the time. And you don't have to go overboard but it wouldn't be the end of the world if you let yourself relax every now and then."

Jerome leaned in, so close to him that Bruce noticed just how green his eyes really were. He smiled at him. "Life is short, Brucie. You gotta live it while you can." 

Bruce stared at Jerome a little before he laughed softly. "You give out advice to all your patrons?" 

Jerome grinned. "Only the ones I like," he said, a clear reference to what Bruce said earlier. He wondered if he could fall any harder than he already had. 

They stayed there smiling at each other until he heard someone shout his name and he turned to see the girls waiting for him at the exit. 

He turned back to Jerome. 

"You better call me," he demanded, smiling that brilliant smile of his. 

"I will," Bruce promised, as he stood up from his seat, walking backwards for a few steps so he could keep his eyes on the angel of a bartender before him. He laughed, probably looking like a lovesick fool. "I _definitely_ will." 

He felt Jerome's eyes on him even as he met up with girls and they left. He didn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, basically, this is an idea that came to me one day and straight up just would not leave. I thought I'd write it as a cute little one shot and leave it on a happy open ending that fills you with hope for the future.
> 
> And then my brain went "Fuck that, this is going to be a full on fic, bitch." 
> 
> *sobs to myself* this was supposed to be a one shot.
> 
> I also said in another fic of mine that I would take a break from writing fics but... Here we are. 
> 
> I want to move onto write other things (I have a lot of plans for Gotham) but I want to finish this first so I'm hoping by publishing this, it will pressurise me to finish it. 
> 
> The title of the fic is from Ric Hassani's 'Love You Anyway' (which is so freaking sappy and cute) and the chapter title is from Hollywood Ending's 'Not Another Song About Love', (which gives me VERY strong Valeyne vibes). 
> 
> Anyway, please leave a kudos and a comment, and thanks for reading! See you next time!


	2. the world's not perfect but it's not that bad (i will be your brother and i'll hold your hand)

Jerome sighed as he locked his apartment door, glad to be home. It had been a busy night and now he was ready to sleep for a few hours. He'd have to wake up at 7am to get Jeremiah to school but after that, he could sleep some more. 

_Miah_. 

He'd have to check in on the little hellion. But first. 

He turned to see Jonathan standing at the island in the kitchen. His apartment wasn't much (a joint living room and kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom), but it was his and he had earned all of it. 

Jonathan looked up from his experiment. "Busy night?" He asked. 

Jerome nodded, smiling tiredly. "And you?" 

He shrugged. "Jeremiah was no trouble and my experiment is going horribly well." He glared at the apparatus in front of him. Jonathan loved his experiments going wrong because it gave him so much more to talk about in his assignments. "All in all, a fairly boring night." 

Jerome hadn't really intended on making any friends when he and Miah moved into this place but it seemed fate had other plans. On the first day, just as he was about to enter his new apartment, Jonathan had literally run into him screaming about an explosion that was about to happen from an experiment gone wrong. After a few moments, it was clear that everything was fine, but it had led to Jerome and Jonathan talking.

Jonathan was a third year biology student at Gotham U. He lived across from Jerome with his roommate Silver, a ballerina who was employed at one of the most successful dance companies in the city. Both of them very quickly became his friends and were constantly volunteering to look after Miah for him when he was at work. 

Jerome still marvelled at how far he'd come in four years and the life he'd built for himself and Jeremiah. The friends he'd made. He'd been worried about leaving the circus, worried he wouldn't actually be able to take care of Miah on his own. He'd never been more glad to be wrong. 

"Well, my night certainly wasn't boring," he told Jonathan, smirking as he thought back. "I met someone." 

Jonathan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "No shit?" 

"No shit. He seems..." Jerome thought for a moment. "Nice. With a bit of danger to him." 

Jonathan hummed. "High praise indeed, coming from you." 

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Remind me why I share any part of my life with you?" 

"Dunno but whatever the reason is, I sure am thankful for it. You keep things interesting Valeska." Jonathan was starting to clean up his equipment. 

"What can I say? I'm an interesting guy. And you can just finish whatever this is here if you'd like," he gestured at the table. 

"Really? Thanks man." 

"Don't mention it Crane." He paused for dramatic effect. "Just don't set anything on fire this time." 

He laughed at Jonathan's groan, and his "That was _one_ time" followed him down the hallway. He stopped just outside of Jeremiah's room before slowly opening the door. 

Jerome slipped into the room, keeping the door open so he could slip back out, and let his eyes adjust to the partial darkness. He could just make out the bed in the corner and softly crept towards it. He crouched next to it once he reached his destination, taking in the small lump underneath the covers. 

Jeremiah was sound asleep, soft and even breaths falling from his lips as he dreamt. The soft glow of his Star Wars nightlight fell on his face and let Jerome see how peaceful he was. He always insisted on having it on and Jerome never had the heart to tell him no. 

He smiled gently at him, his right hand subconsciously coming up to brush his hair away from his face. 

_Everything I do, I do for you._ He thought to himself. 

His hand had stayed at Miah's hair when he brushed the rogue strands away and now his fingers were gently smoothing the soft locks down. The motion caused him to stir. 

"Jerome?" He murmured sleepily, his eyes blinking blearily at him. 

Jerome smiled even as he winced. "Hey kiddo," he said as quietly as he could, "I was just checking on you. I didn't mean to wake you up." 

Miah shook his head. "You didn't," he yawned. "I've been up for hours." He yawned again. 

Jerome chuckled at the lie. "Then go to sleep. You've got school tomorrow." 

Jeremiah hummed, already drifting back to sleep. He shook his head fondly before carefully walking back to the door and slowly opening it. Just when he was about to close it again, he heard Jeremiah's sleepy voice call out to him. 

"Jerome?" 

He paused. "Yeah?" 

"I love you." Miah told him. 

He smiled softly. Growing up, Jerome hadn't ever been told 'I love you', and if he had, he had been too young to remember it. His mom had never said it to his knowledge. Cicero had only revealed he was their father on the day they left the circus, which had made Jerome more determined to leave than ever. And the only thing his uncle had loved about him was the convenience of having a punching bag that he could hurt whenever he wanted to. That was why when Miah came along, he had made it a point to tell him how much Jerome loved him. 

_"Even if you don't have them, you have me little guy." A young Jerome promised a baby Jeremiah as he held him, their mother passed out on the couch from too many booze. He was crying and Jerome was trying to soothe him. "You'll always have me because I love you and I'll never, ever let you doubt it."_

_His cries tapered off as he stared at Jerome with those big eyes of his. He smiled at his little brother._

_"No matter what, you'll always have me." He promised again. "I love you Miah."_

_It might have been in his head but he thought he saw Jeremiah smile back at him._

"Love you too," he whispered in the present. "Now go to back sleep." He heard a soft murmur of agreement before he closed the door again. 

Some time later, Jerome collapsed on his bed after getting a bite to eat and a shower. He had to take Miah to school in a few hours but after that, he could sleep all day if he wanted. Not that he would, he still had shit to do, (dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, blah, blah, blah) but it was a nice thought. 

He yawned as he thought back on the night and the cute stranger he had met. _Bruce_. Jerome hasn't expected to meet anyone when he went to work that day but once again, it seemed fate had other plans for him. Bruce had been an unexpected but welcome surprise and he was looking forward to getting to know him more. 

He wondered whether Bruce had taken his advice and was dancing the night away with his friends. He wondered what time he'd get home and how drunk he'd be. 

He wondered if Bruce was thinking of him the same way Jerome was thinking of Bruce. 

He drifted off to sleep not long after that, his head filled with thoughts of a raven haired man with eyes that were too kind for this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The latest update to this very weird but fluffy fic. Title is from 'If We Have Each Other' by Alec Benjamin, which is a heart wrenching but beautiful song. Very bittersweet in my opinion (which is probably why I love it lol).
> 
> Also, that bit when Miah says he's been up for hours was a shameless Frozen reference because it made cackle when I first saw it. 😂
> 
> You may be wondering about the characterisation for some of the characters in this fic (ahem, the Valeskas), to which I can only say that this fic obeys my rules and in my rules, the Valeskas love each other, okay? okay. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you next time! 😊


	3. wise men say only fools rush in (but i can't help falling in love with you)

When Bruce woke up the next day, he had a splitting headache and the strong desire to puke his guts out until there was nothing left in him. 

He groaned when he heard the sound of curtains being drawn open and could see sunlight pouring into the room against his eyelids. 

He quickly ducked under the covers, hoping whoever it was would leave him be. 

"Rise and shine, Master Bruce. Your friends are waiting downstairs for you and it is a poor host who leaves his friends unattended, even if they do live here." Alfred's voice filled the room as the covers were dragged off of his being. 

He groaned again, hoping that if he seemed pathetic enough Alfred might take pity on him and let him sleep. 

No such luck. "Come now, Master Bruce. It's 10:30am and I, for one, am rather keen to hear about your escapades last night. Particularly about 'Jerome'." 

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask 'Who the hell is Jerome?' before the memories came back to him and he bolted upright. 

_Jerome_. 

Jerome was the angel he had met last night, whose phone number he had somehow been lucky enough to obtain. 

His phone number. It was written on his arm.

Bruce frantically pulled the sleeve up of his pyjama shirt and sighed in relief as he saw the numbers were still there, all eligible though slightly smudged. 

Alfred arched an eyebrow at the writing. "A parting gift from Jerome, I assume?" 

Bruce nodded then furrowed his eyebrows at Alfred. "How did-" his voice was hoarse so he cleared his throat. "How did you find out about Jerome?" 

His guardian smiled, the kind of smile that spoke of great embarrassment for Bruce. He dreaded what would come next. 

"Why, Master Bruce, you told me about him. Last night, when I opened the door to allow you and the young madams downstairs into the manor, he was all you could talk about. What was it you said about him again?" 

He paused, his face playfully thoughtful. "Ah yes, now I remember. 'His hair's as red as fire, his eyes like precious emeralds. He's an angel, falling from heaven and I want to be the one to catch him.'" Alfred finished his recital, his smile full of mirth. "I hadn't known you were a composer of poetry, Master Bruce. Is it a new hobby?" 

The moment Alfred started repeating him, Bruce had buried his face in his hands and now groaned at his butler's question. He remembered it now; drinking with Bridget, Selina and Ivy, dancing in the clubs they visited, and all the while, talking about how amazing Jerome was. 

He talked about how amazing Jerome was all night to anyone who would listen; the bartenders he got his drinks from, the other patrons at all the clubs, the taxi drivers who took them to their next destination, the girls-

A terrible thought occurred to him and he took his face from his eyes to stare at Alfred beseechingly. 

"Alfred," he said urgently. "Please tell me the girls didn't hear anything about Jerome and if they did, that they don't remember it." 

He opened his mouth to answer but before he could, a voice shouted from downstairs. 

"O JEROME, JEROME, WHEREFORE ART THOU JEROME?!" He could hear Bridget screech gigglingly while Ivy and Selina laughed. 

He groaned, falling back on the bed as Alfred chuckled. 

The rest of the morning passed by quickly, with he and his friends spending it in their own beds, too hungover to do much, despite Bridget teasing him earlier on. 

Evening, however, told a different story. 

Bruce had to sit through dinner while his friends recited his drunken ramblings for his embarrassment. Alfred was no help at all, just smiling smugly at the other end of the table in the kitchen (it was more personal and intimate than eating at the imposing dining table in the equally imposing dining room), and Bruce questioned why he cared about these people so much when they were all so insufferable. 

"Hey Ive," Selina said, already laughing. Bruce held back a sigh, knowing this was yet another thing they were teasing him with. "Who has a smile that would put the gods to shame and a laugh more melodic than any song ever sung?" 

Ivy pretended to think about, giggling all the while. Bridget cackled with silent laughter. 

"Oh! I know," she leaned forward, eyes lit up with mischief, "Is it Jerome?" 

"Winner winner, chicken dinner!" Selina grinned and Bruce finally let himself sigh. 

"I hate you guys." He told them tiredly. 

"Is it because your love for Jerome is so strong, there isn't any love left in you for anyone else?" Bridget asked innocently enough, but the slight smirk in her lips told the truth. 

He glared at her. "Why do I put up with any of you?" 

"Because we bring joy to your life of course!" Ivy proclaimed with flair. "Or at the very least, excitement." 

He said nothing, staring at them all with exasperation.

"Aw, come on Brucie. You know you'd miss us if we weren't here." Bridget said. 

He sighed again even as he smiled. "Yeah, I guess I would." 

A tender look passed between the five of them, as they let themselves appreciate the friends they had. 

Until Selina said, "Though not as much as you'd miss Jerome, of course." 

He scrunched up his napkin and lobbed it at her while Selina laughed. Ivy giggled, Bridget chuckled and Alfred smiled. All Bruce could do was sigh. 

He was _never_ going to live this down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! My gift to you is drunk Bruce simping hard for Jerome. Hope you like it. 
> 
> Title is from Elvis Presley's (I think that's how you spell it??) 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You'. I felt like it was appropriate for the theme of this chapter. 
> 
> This is very short so I might update early to make up for it, who knows? 
> 
> See you next time!


	4. all i wanna be (all i ever wanna be) is somebody to you

"Well, don't get into any trouble. And if you do, don't get caught." Jerome told Miah as he dropped him off at school. Miah scowled, glaring from behind his glasses. 

"Please, as if I'd be stupid enough to get caught by anyone." He said imperiously, crossing his arms. 

Jerome grinned. "Atta boy." He ruffled his hair and laughed when Jeremiah batted his hands away. 

"I'll pick you up when you finish. Don't start any fights you can't win." Jerome said and Miah nodded. 

"Good day." His little brother said and he marched up to school like a man off to war.

Jerome watched him, shaking his head fondly. He was such a weirdo. 

He ignored the stares of some of the parents and guardians who were dropping off their children, just as he always did. He was pretty sure some of them thought Jeremiah was his son (and that had given him a laugh because what the actual fuck?) and were judging him on his alleged poor life choices. 

He heaved a sigh as he got behind the wheel of his car, mentally going through his list of all the things he still had to do; buy groceries, pay some bills, put on a load of laundry, and vacuum the floors. He groaned at the thought. 

At least the dishes were done; he cleaned them this morning at breakfast. And, once he was done with all of that, he could nap until he had to pick Jeremiah up. 

The prospect put him in slightly higher spirits and he went to his first stop; the bank. 

Hours later, he sighed in relief as he finished vacuuming. All he had to do now was put on a load of laundry. He stretched his back before starting to put the clothes in the washing machine and got half way through this when his phone went off. 

Jerome fished it out of his pocket and narrowed his eyes at the number calling him. It wasn't one he recognised. 

He was just about to dismiss the call when he remembered the man he met last night and his stomach twisted with excitement. If it was who he thought it was...

Jerome pressed the green answer button and brought his phone up to his ear. "Hello?" 

A soft breath and then, _"Hi."_ The voice he'd been hoping to hear spoke. Jerome grinned. 

"Well hey there Brucie. Glad to see you kept good on your promise." He said, a slight lilt to his voice. 

Bruce chuckled slightly. _"I'm a man of my word."_

Jerome smiled. "I don't doubt it. So, you take my advice?" He asked. 

_"I did."_

"And?" He pressed. 

_"And I had a surprisingly good time. It was pretty fun, actually. Much more fun than I remember, uh, I mean, more fun than I'd thought it'd be."_ Bruce tripped over his words slightly. 

Jerome arched an eyebrow at that but let it slide. "Good. I'm glad." Neither of them said anything for a moment before Bruce spoke again. 

_"I, uh,"_ he cleared his throat. _"I wasn't sure if I should wait a few days before calling you but then I realised I really wanted to talk to you."_ He sounded sheepish and smitten. Jerome loved it. 

"Now now, Bruce. You say things like that, you're gonna make me blush." He placed his phone between his shoulder and ear so he could put the rest of the laundry in the machine. 

_"Maybe that's why I say things like that. What if I want to make you blush? What would you say then?"_ Bruce asked him. He could hear the smile in his voice. 

"I'd say it's working." He told the other man and was rewarded with a laugh. 

He pushed the necessary buttons on the machine once he was done filling it and stood up as the cycle started. 

"Well, I appreciate you calling me but unfortunately, I have to split." Jerome said ruefully. As much as he would love to talk to Bruce all afternoon, he really needed to get some sleep. 

_"Oh. That's okay."_ He knew he wasn't imagining the dismay in Bruce's voice. 

"I'll text you later though," he said in attempt to alleviate the disappointment. 

It seemed to work, as Bruce continued, sounding pleasantly surprised, _"Oh, uh. Great."_ A pause. _"Talk later then."_

"Later." He promised before hanging up. He walked to his room and fell on his bed. Jerome fell asleep instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one but it is early so that makes up for it. Hope you liked this and thanks for sticking with this fic!
> 
> Chapter is from 'Somebody To You' by The Vamps feat. Demi Lovato, because I adore this song. 
> 
> Until next time! 😊😊❤️❤️


	5. all's well that ends well (to end up with you)

Bruce was happy. Happier than he'd been in a long time. Which wasn't to say he had been particularly unhappy, but there was a definite lightness in his soul that hadn't been there before and he had one person to thank for that. 

Jerome. 

It'd been roughly a month since they met at Sirens and Bruce had been able to think of little else but Jerome in that time. After Jerome texted him like he promised he would, they had been messaging each other back and forth ever since. Jerome was funny and witty, and Bruce wanted to learn everything he could about the other man. 

He also really wanted to see him again. Bruce had asked Jerome if he'd wanted to meet up two times so far but he'd been busy both times, unfortunately. He had briefly thought about swinging by Sirens to see if he could catch a glimpse of Jerome there but had worried that would seem too stalkerish and decided against it. 

Still, seeing Jerome again had quickly become one of Bruce's top priorities, much to the amusement of his friends. 

"Maybe it's for the best you don't see him for a while. After all, Alfred will want some time to plan the wedding." Bridget smirked as she snacked on some Doritos. 

It had been an uphill battle convincing the girls to move into the manor. Well, convincing Selina and Bridget had been an uphill battle. Ivy had pretty much moved in the day after he gave the offer and promptly started tending to the gardens, both indoors and outdoors. 

Selina, however, hadn't wanted to give up her independence, and Bridget had seen it as charity. But Bruce had always been stubborn and in the end, they agreed to it. Nowadays, the manor saw more life than it had in years and he could tell Alfred was thankful for it. The years after his parents' deaths were cold and dark, and though they had had each other, he knew Alfred liked having other people in the house. 

Selina piped in from where she was raiding the pantry. "Yeah, otherwise we'll probably just get an announcement in the Gotham Gazette about your nuptials, and you know how it would break poor Alfie's heart to not be at your wedding." 

Bruce rolled his eyes at them. "I am not thinking about marrying Jerome. I just want to see him again, that's all." 

"Whatever you say, lover boy." Selina said and he sighed. 

Really, why did he bother? 

Some time later, as he was texting Jerome and thinking of ways he could see him, the solution to his problem seem to present itself. 

He was just talking to Jerome about his plans for the day (which consisted of chauffeuring Ivy around as she selected new plants to put in the gardens) when an opportunity fell into his lap. 

_Jerome: well I'm heading to the cinema with my brother today, in about an hour or so_

_Bruce: which one?_

_Jerome: the one on 12th street_

Bruce's heart leapt at the sight of those words. He knew that cinema well, mainly because he and Ivy were always passing by it while they shopped for her plants. It was a street down from her favourite garden centre. 

A terrible idea started to form in Bruce's head. Not terrible as in awful or malicious, but in the sense of 'this is a very bad idea that isn't going to end well.' 

_Bruce: what movie are you seeing?_

He replied almost instantly. 

_Jerome: Star Wars Force Awakens. It's supposed to be really good but I'm not sure if it can live up to the originals_

Bruce didn't reply to this immediately, too busy searching when the viewing times for Star Wars: The Force Awakens were. 

There was only one time Jerome could have been referring to, the 11:30am showing. 

He pursed his lips. The film was two hours and fifteen minutes long, according to Google. Trailers and adverts would probably be about twenty minutes, meaning it would be roughly 2:05pm when Jerome got out of the cinema. 

If he timed it just right...

He frowned. This seemed kind of stalkerish. He probably shouldn't be doing this. What would Jerome think if he came out of the cinema and saw Bruce standing there? 

His phone buzzed in his hand and he looked at the new message.

_Jerome: I was originally going to invite you but you had plans so._

_Jerome: maybe some other time?_

That sealed it for Bruce. He was going to see Jerome and he was going to see him today. He could worry about everything else later. He texted back his agreement and then Jerome had to go in order to arrive at the cinema on time. 

Some time later, he and Ivy were walking out of the garden centre, each carrying two bags that were filled with packets of seeds that Ivy wanted to plant and other various gardening things. It had just gone 2:05pm on his phone and Bruce was wondering if this had been the best idea. 

"This is either really sweet or really creepy. One of those things where there is no in between," Ivy idly commented as they strolled down the sidewalk. Bruce had been forced to tell her about his plan with Jerome after an extensive interrogation into his anxious mood. 

He was glad it was Ivy with him and not one of the others. Having to explain this to Selina or Bridget, or heaven forbid, Alfred...

It wasn't a pleasant thought. 

"I'm fully aware of that Ivy," he told her as his eyes scanned the crowd of people that were walking by, clearly having just exited the cinema. 

"And yet here we are, doing it anyway." She replied, her eyes scanning the flood of people as well. Bruce had given her enough descriptions of Jerome for her to know what he looked like and even if he hadn't, she'd seen them talking to each other a few times at Selina's 21st. 

"Have you actually thought about what you're going to say to him? Like, at all?" Ivy questioned him and Bruce tried not to let it show on his face that no, he hadn't thought about what he was going to say to Jerome if he saw him. 

She took his silence for the answer it was. "That's a no then," her eyebrows furrowed as she continued searching. 

He tried to do the same but there were just too many people. 

"At this rate, I won't have to worry about what I'm going to say to him because I can't bloody find him." He groaned in frustration, his vernacular matching someone from the U.K. He had grown up with Alfred, after all, and saint though he was, he could also curse like a sailor when provoked enough (and there had been plenty of times Bruce sure had provoked him enough). 

Ivy hummed ponderously before her eyes landed on a nearby statue mounted on a marble platform. She grinned and made a beeline for it. 

Bruce only had time to say, "Ivy, no-" before she was climbing on top of it to look out into the crowd. 

He weaved his way through the crowd that had formed after she bolted and reached her a few minutes later, just in time for her to cry out. "Ha! I see him! He's..." She trailed off and Bruce looked up at her, watching her eyes grow wary. "Uh." 

"'Uh?' What's 'uh'?" He questioned her. She looked down at him before hopping off the platform. 

"He's not alone." Ivy said. She looked very nervous and confused. 

Bruce was just as confused. Not alone? Was he with someone then? A boyfriend, a girlfriend? Someone Bruce wasn't supposed to know about?

The idea that Jerome was cheating on someone with him sent a pang of hurt through him (and it would be cheating, Bruce was pretty sure his intentions could not be interpreted as friendly). It also made him angry. How could someone do that to a person they cared about?

Still, he needed to confirm it. 

"What do you mean? Is he with someone?" He asked Ivy. She opened her mouth to reply but then the crowd passed and Bruce could see a flash of red hair from the corner of his eye. 

He turned to look at Jerome and whoever he was with, not sure what he intended to say before the words died on his lips when he saw who it was. 

Jerome stared at Bruce, mouth parted slightly and eyes very wide. Beside him, a small boy who couldn't have been older than eight or nine years old held his hand and looked at Bruce and Ivy with inquisitive eyes behind black glasses. Bruce distantly thought they were too shrewd for someone his age. 

The boy was also the spitting image of Jerome, just ten years younger. 

His mind was racing. Who was this little boy? As far as he remembered, Jerome made no mention at having a son - and he was sure he would have mentioned it by now because wasn't that what people did? - and yet, it seemed he had one. The resemblance between them was just too strong for them not to be related. 

But Jerome couldn't have been much older than Bruce. So when exactly did he have this boy? When he was twelve, thirteen years old? He supposed it was possible but it seemed a bit of a stretch. 

The four stared at each other, two in complete shock, one with distant curiosity, the third wondering what the fuck was going on. 

The distantly curious one broke the stand off. 

The little boy - Jerome's son? - tugged on Jerome's sleeve and asked in a loud whisper, "Who are these people?" 

That seemed to snap Jerome out of the trance he had been in. 

"Right! Uh, right," he cleared his throat, waving a hand in their direction. "Miah, this is Bruce, he's a... Friend of mine. And this is," he gestured at Ivy then paused. "I'm not actually sure who you are." 

"I'm Ivy. I'm Bruce's friend." She said, her voice somewhat airy, like she wasn't breathing enough. Bruce could relate. 

Jerome nodded, clearly distracted. "Right, uh, this is Ivy. And this-" he gestured to the little boy, "Is Miah. He's my little brother." 

It was then Bruce recalled that although Jerome had never mentioned a son, he had mentioned his brother plenty of times. He just hadn't mentioned he was this... Young. 

Miah huffed in frustration. "My name is _Jeremiah_." The little boy petulantly told them. 

Jerome laughed. "Sorry, this is _Jeremiah_." He repeated in the same tone that his brother had said it in. This made Jeremiah glare at him before he surveyed Bruce and Ivy again. 

He looked closely at Ivy. "You have ginger hair, like Jerome and I," he stated. 

She nodded, eyes slightly wide, obviously still processing this turn in events. She was the one who had been (and still was) wondering what the fuck was going on. "Yes, I do." 

Jeremiah's next words were said very seriously indeed. "That automatically makes you better than everyone else." 

A silence. And then-

Ivy laughed, loud and surprised and positively delighted. "Oh, I like you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Hope you like this installment, as I really liked writing it. Bit of a warning, I (regrettably lol) am in uni and I have some assignments coming up so if I don't update for a little bit, that's why. Obviously I hope to manage it but I might just have to wait until afterwards. 
> 
> Title is from Taylor Swift's 'Lover' and can I just say that I really screwed myself over by deciding every chapter title had to be a song lyric? 😂😂
> 
> ALSO, as a person who technically lives in Britain (I'm Scottish), can I just say how annoying it is when people call posh English accents British? (Not that Gotham Alfred's or rather Sean Pertwee's accent is particularly posh but you get what I mean. Hopefully). Like nooooo, Britain is the culmination of four countries, no way do they have a single united accent. 
> 
> Idk man, it just bugs me sometimes. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and see you next time!


	6. and your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck (i'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet)

"So, how's Bruce doing?" Silver asked as they sat on his couch. She was painting her nails for a recital and he was painting her toenails for her. How she convinced him to do such a thing, he wasn't sure, but such was life. A few paces away, Jonathan and Jeremiah were conducting an experiment, which Miah had bullied him into (not that it had taken much convincing). 

"Good, I think. I mean, I haven't spoken to him today yet so, I assume he's alright." Jerome applied another coat of pink polish.

When Silver had found out about Bruce from Jonathan (and Jerome was never telling him anything again, the little rat), she had demanded Jerome tell her everything about their relationship so far. Which truthfully wasn't much, given that they only met two weeks ago. 

"'Yet?' How very telling. You usually don't bother with people after the first three days. He must be something special." Silver teased.

Jerome rolled his eyes. "I like him. That's all I can really say." 

And he did. There was just something so very alluring about Bruce. He was sweet and smart, and kind and funny, yet with something a little darker brimming just underneath the surface. It was enough to make anyone fall in love, and Jerome was only human. 

Not that he was in love, of course. It was too soon for that. But he thought he could be. One day. 

There was just one problem; he hadn't told Bruce about Jeremiah. More specifically, about how he was Jeremiah's pseudo-parent. 

He'd meant to! Really, he had, but it just hadn't come up in conversation so far, and at this point, Jerome just kept assuming that he told Bruce already, which he hadn't. 

_Later,_ he thought whenever he remembered this. _I'll tell him later._

This led him to his current situation, (two weeks since that conversation with Silver and one month since he met Bruce) which was nothing short of a hot fucking mess. 

Jerome and Bruce sat side by side on a bench in the park, watching Ivy teach Jeremiah about the different kinds of flora in the area. 

After the unexpected run in, Jerome had suggested they head to the park so they could talk and the others had agreed to it. Jeremiah had demanded that he get another hour of reading before bedtime, though, which Jerome had said yes to because a) it shut him up and b) it was the weekend. 

He glanced at Bruce while keeping his head forward, only to see Bruce doing the same. He wanted to laugh.

Fuck, this was a mess. 

"How old is Jeremiah?" Bruce asked, clearly in an attempt to alleviate the tension. 

"He's nine." He replied, watching as his brother made notes of what Ivy was saying (with an actual pen and the little journal he carried with him everywhere he went). 

"And this is _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ , or Bearberry." She was telling him. 

Next to him, Bruce nodded. "And you're..?" 

"Twenty-two." He said and the other man nodded again. 

Another silence fell. Jerome wasn't really sure what to say. 

"And your parents, are they... In the picture?" Bruce asked delicately. 

"No," Jerome answered, and he could have left it at that but he felt the need to clarify. And he didn't like the flash of pity on Bruce's face. "They're not dead, or anything. At least, I don't think they are. Our dad was just never in the picture, not in anyway that mattered, and our mom..." He struggled to find the words for a moment. "Let's just say she's not the nicest person in the world." Understatement of the century but Bruce didn't need to know that. 

Bruce accepted the answer and didn't press. "So you take care of Jeremiah?" 

"Basically, yeah. We grew up in the circus until I turned eighteen and could finally take him away from there. It's pretty much just been the two of us ever since." He told him. 

He didn't say anything so Jerome continued. "I'm sorry for not telling you about him. Usually, he comes up pretty quickly in my interactions with people but..." He trailed off as Bruce shook his head. 

"You don't have to be sorry about that." He smiled and Jerome felt some of the tension lift from his shoulders. "I was just surprised, that's all." 

They fell into another silence, this one comfortable. Still, Jerome knew what was coming and didn't want to let himself believe this might be different. 

"Look," he said, making sure he had Bruce's attention, "I get that this might not be what you signed up for and I'd understand if you didn't want to take things any further with us." 

Bruce looked stricken. "What do you mean?" 

He laughed humorously. "I mean I've got baggage Bruce, and that baggage is a nine-year-old who means more to me than everything else in my life. Most people don't want to deal with that." 

"I'm not most people." He licked his lips, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Okay, yeah, I didn't expect you to have a nine-year-old brother that you take care of by yourself but, it doesn't change anything. Not for me. I still want to see you. I'd still like to, to date you." Bruce said, hesitating on those last words, though he didn't look like he regretted them. 

Jerome stared at him. This was usually the part where the person gently let him down and they went their separate ways. That's what always happened. He never held it against them and wouldn't have held it against Bruce. 

He was twenty-two years old; most people his age weren't looking for the kind of serious attachments that Jerome needed. He told himself early on he wasn't going to be like their mother, who brought people into their lives at the blink of an eye and kicked them out just as quickly. Jeremiah needed stability and Jerome couldn't provide that with a string of one night stands behind him. 

But Bruce didn't mind. Bruce still wanted to see Jerome. 

Bruce was staying. 

"You understand what that means right?" He asked, because he needed to know that Bruce did understand. "I won't be able to stay the night and you won't be able to stay at mine, and things will probably be really slow because I have to make sure this is serious before I take it any further, and I can't do spontaneous dates or anything like that." He trailed off, not really sure of what else to say, even though there was so much more to his situation than that. 

Bruce nodded, looking at him with serious eyes. "I understand Jerome. Whatever pace you need to go at, we'll go at that pace. We'll take things as slow as you like. Whatever you need." His voice was so earnest, as if he genuinely meant everything he said. 

Jerome felt something uncoil inside him. He wasn't sure what it was but it felt good. (It felt nice). 

"You sure you don't want to chase after pretty college guys or girls?" He asked, only half joking. 

Bruce smiled, shaking his head. "Why would I waste my time with them when you're right here?" 

And really, what could Jerome say to that? 

Not much. But he could do something else. 

He stared at Bruce a few moments before smirking a little to himself. He cast a quick eye around to make sure no one was watching before leaning forward and placing a kiss on Bruce's cheek. 

The effect was instantaneous. A red flush bloomed on his face and Bruce grinned so widely at him, he thought he might split in two. 

Jerome felt a similar grin take over his lips. 

"Well, if you're sure." He said and smiled even wider when Bruce said, "I'm sure." 

The two were so caught up in their moment that they didn't hear the click of a camera taking a photograph, and they didn't notice the smug reporter watching them intently from a nearby bush. 

They soon would, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the next chapter! Hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait. My assessments have been submitted so fingers crossed they went well. 
> 
> I should be back to weekly updates now so yay! 
> 
> Title is from Ed Sheeran's 'Kiss Me'. 
> 
> As always, thank you for your support and patience. ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> Until next time! 😊😊


	7. crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us (we're far from the shallow now)

Admittedly, Bruce had been surprised by the turn of events with Jerome. Naturally, he hadn't expected the other man to have a nine-year-old brother he was the sole guardian of. 

But like he said to Jerome, it hadn't changed anything for him, not really. Jerome was still the same person he'd been so taken with that first night at the bar. He still wanted to get to know him, to date him. 

To love him, maybe, one day. 

Besides, even if he hadn't wanted to continue his relationship, he didn't think Ivy would let him break things off, as she seemed utterly besotted with Jeremiah. 

He and Jerome watched the two of them walk around the park, Bruce noting how Ivy seemed to be barely containing the urge to coo over the little boy. 

"Just a heads up, don't be surprised if Ivy offers to babysit Jeremiah," Bruce told Jerome, who laughed in response. Bruce felt just as smitten at hearing it now as he was the first time he heard it. There was something so beautiful about it. 

They spent the afternoon like that, idly chatting about everything and nothing. It was one of the best afternoons Bruce had had in a while. And, as predicted, Ivy did offer to look after Jeremiah when he and Jerome had to part ways. 

"If you ever need someone to watch him while you're on a date, I'm your girl," she winked at Jerome and Bruce, who both sported pink tinged cheeks after that. 

"Well, I'll guess we'll see." Jerome said smoothly enough, but his blush gave him away. 

Bruce just smiled adoringly at him. "I guess we will." 

A look passed between them, each promising to see the other again. 

Jeremiah had also seemed fond of Ivy. "Make sure you stay friends with Ivy, I like her." They heard Jeremiah tell Jerome as the two walked away.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ivy whirled on Bruce, squealing. "Fuck, he was so adorable!" He just shook his head, smiling in response. Bruce left the park feeling over the moon. 

So of course, life had to drag him back down onto Earth because it was a hateful bitch like that. 

It was the day after and Bruce was sat at the dining table having breakfast. Alfred was moving in and out of the room, completing various tasks while Bridget munched on some cereal and scrolled through her social media. Selina was still sleeping and Ivy was in one of the gardens, planting the seeds she got yesterday. 

He was just buttering some toast and texting one of the members of the Board about an upcoming meeting when he heard a choked gasp and looked up to find Bridget struggling with a mouthful of cereal, staring at her phone with wide eyes. 

He rushed out of his chair and to her side to thump as lightly as he could on her back. Eventually, she was able to breathe again, by which time Alfred came into the room. He handed her a glass of water, which she gulped down greedily. 

She sighed as she finished it off, placing the glass on the table, all while Bruce and Alfred watched her with concerned eyes. 

"You alright, miss?" Alfred asked and Bridget nodded. 

"What happened?" Bruce questioned and she picked up her phone, waving it slightly. 

"I found this," she held it in front of him. He took it, despite his confusion. 

It was a link to an article on Facebook. And it was about him. 

Him and Jerome. 

**PRINCE OF GOTHAM WITH NEW LOVER?**

The picture accompanying the article was a photograph of Bruce and Jerome at the park. It was the exact moment Jerome had kissed him on the cheek. 

Bruce arched an eyebrow at it. He passed Bridget's phone back to her and googled the title into his own phone. The results were very extensive. 

"Oh my word," Alfred murmured, looking troubled. He was looking over his shoulder to see the results. 

"Right? Like, what the actual fuck?" Bridget said and it was testament to how preoccupied they were that Alfred didn't reprimand her for her language. 

They spend the next two hours going through all the articles that had been written about him and Jerome. It seemed every reporter in a twenty-mile-radius had something to say about them, judging from the pages upon pages of articles dedicated to theories of what their connection was. 

And almost all of them involved Jeremiah in one way or another.

A lot of them assumed that Jeremiah was Jerome's son, the product of a scandalous fling when he was younger, and Bruce was some sort of sugar daddy to the man. 

He actually choked upon reading those words in the first article to write them, completely taken back. 

"'Bruce Wayne: Sugar Daddy Extraordinaire'," Bridget read aloud, barely able to keep her incredulous laughter at bay. It was just so ridiculous. 

"Now there's a sentence you don't hear every day," Alfred commented mildly. 

They continued on with their search, the theories getting wilder with each new article they read. One of them had a picture of Ivy and Jeremiah and were suggesting Jeremiah was actually the result of a fling between Jerome and Ivy, and they were only just reuniting now. Another suggested it was he who had the fling with Ivy and they gave the baby away, only to find him again after all these years. There was even someone theorising that he, Jerome and Ivy were in some kind of polyamorous relationship and were raising Jeremiah together. 

Bruce looked at the screen with a furrowed brow. People actually got paid to write this shit? 

While it was shocking to some extent, it wasn't necessarily surprising. Bruce was Gotham's billionaire prince; people loved gossiping about him. He dealt with 'scandals' like these on a daily basis. People were always wanting to know who he was dating, what he was doing, who he was spending his time with, etc. He knew how to handle it. 

Jerome, on the other hand... Probably not so much.

Dread filled the pit of his stomach at the thought of Jerome seeing this, and Bruce realised with horrifying clarity that Jerome hadn't been the only one in their relationship who forgot to mention key details of his life. 

One of these details being that Bruce just so happened to be Bruce Thomas Wayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed this, I know it was a bit of a weird one. 
> 
> Chapter title is from 'Shallow' by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. 
> 
> Next chapter is going to be longer than usual (I think) so I'll see you for that! ❤️❤️❤️😊😊


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